It’s a bit industrial in design, but the Boom 2 is actually a wild party machine. It pumps out powerful bass (up to 80W), and has a built-in passive radiator to deliver colourful light shows. It can also be synced with more than 100 additional speakers to ensure the music reaches every nook and cranny of your jamboree. Plus, it floats!

Built like a tiny sound machine you can clip and go, the Sony SRS-XB100 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker turns everyday moments into mini playlists with surprisingly deep bass and clear audio. Its IP67 waterproof, dustproof design, 16-hour battery life, and handy strap make it the kind of speaker that’s always ready for trips, showers, or spontaneous hangouts.

Compact and cute, JBL’s latest Flip is available in nine colours, from a pretty coral pink to combat camouflage. It delivers clear, non-tinny highs and robust lows, using AI to analyze your music and apply equalization in real time to prevent distortion. And Auracast lets you connect with other nearby JBL speakers to level up your soirée.

Up for a splurge? Then you can stop reading now and just order the Bose SoundLink Max. It checks all the boxes. Rich, pulsing bass. Long battery life. An AUX jack so you can connect turntables and MP3 players. The ability to act as a charger for other devices. And it’s waterproof, dustproof, and shock resistant, to boot. It’s pretty much the pinnacle of portable speakers.

If portability is your primary shopping criteria, JBL’s Clip 5 should be at the top of your list. It’s not much bigger than a phone. And its clever padlock-style design—available in 16 colour schemes—lets you clip it to just about anything, from handlebars to purses. The small size means just 12 hours of battery life at normal volume, but the Playtime Boost button adjusts settings to give you an extra three hours.

Apple’s portable speaker (which also works with Android devices) is sleek, simple, and sounds great. The pill-shaped shell—available in red, black, and champagne gold—looks great in any setting, and sports just four cleverly configured buttons that make it easy to control playback, adjust volume, take calls, and activate your voice assistant. Plus, the Beats By Dre sound pedigree is evident in every falsetto note and throbbing drumbeat

The niftiest thing about this affordable little speaker is that if you buy two you can pair them and get a true stereo experience. It’s waterproof, shockproof, and has an EQ mode that cranks things up for outdoor listening. Cooler still, it also has a voice enhancement setting that makes it ideal for podcasts.

The JBL Charge 6 is a rugged portable Bluetooth speaker with bold bass and clear highs, using AI Sound Boost to improve sound clarity and reduce distortion. It offers up to 28 hours of playtime and includes IP68 waterproof and dustproof protection, drop resistance, a removable carry strap, and a built-in powerbank for charging devices.